No athlete should have to choose between safety and glory

WHEN we talk about sports, we often celebrate the grit, sacrifice, and glory of our athletes.

We cheer for their victories, honour their records, and admire their discipline, but what we don’t talk about enough are the toxic behaviours that sometimes fester behind the scenes, particularly when it comes to sexual harassment.

Last Friday, the Embassy of Belgium, in collaboration with the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) and the United Nations Population Fund (U PA) Malaysia, hosted “The Spotlight on Sexual Harassment in Sports”.

It was a much-needed conversation that surfaced the often-ignored struggles many athletes quietly endure beyond the pitch, the court, or the gym.

The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. In just the past year, our nation was shaken by two disturbing cases involving young athletes.

A 39-year-old archery instructor in Klang, Selangor, was charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student.

Not long after, a football coach in Kota Tinggi, Johor, was arrested for allegedly molesting two 13-year-old girls under his charge.

These were not distant headlines from foreign times or lands. They happened right here, in our communities, at present time.

Malaysia introduced the Safe Sports Code in 2023, a guideline aimed at preventing and addressing harassment and abuse in sports. It was a positive move forward, but guidelines alone are not enough.

Codes without the weight of law are too easily ignored, too easily forgotten when inconvenient.

If we are truly serious about athlete safety, we need to take a step forward and legislate the Safe Sports Code. It is time to give it legal force.

While Malaysia already has the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022, which was a hard-fought and long-overdue milestone for survivors, it remains a general law.

The nature of sports, with its unique power dynamic, close-contact environments, and culture of silence, demands sports-specific, enforceable safeguards.

Abuse in sports can come not only from coaches, but also teammates, officials, and even fans.

And it does not only happen to girls and women. Boys and men are survivors too, though often silenced by stigma, a dread of being seen as weak for seeking help, and a fear of not being believed.

We must also look beyond elite sports. The Ministry of Youth and Sports deserves credit for their work on the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, supporting our national athletes on the international stage.

However, our duty of care extends to all athletes from the grassroots to state teams, school competitions, and recreational sports.

Every young person who steps onto a track, into a pool, or onto a court should be able to do so in a safe, supportive environment.

Complicating matters further is the rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).

As athletes increasingly become public figures and influencers, they are vulnerable not only to harassment in person but also in the digital space.

From threatening messages to the non-consensual sharing of images, and the creation of deepfake videos, online abuse has become part of the modern athlete’s reality.

The Online Safety Bill, passed last December, marks an important step in tackling this.

There’s even discussion of real-name verification requirements for social media platforms to address anonymity in online abuse.

This may be a controversial idea, but perhaps one worth considering as we debate how best to protect our athletes and citizens online.

In 2021, U PA’s BodyRight campaign powerfully reminded us that everyone has the right to control their own body. Athletes are no exception. They deserve to train, compete, and thrive without fear of harassment or violence, in the locker room, on the sidelines, or behind a screen.

The first step is acknowledging that sexual harassment exists in Malaysian sports, and taking it seriously.

The next is reforming our culture and systems to ensure no one is forced to choose between chasing their dreams and protecting their safety.

A safer, fairer sporting environment is necessary.

And it begins with us.

Dr Loo Cheng Yee is a former state badminton player and medical doctor with a special interest in athlete wellbeing. Dr Sean Thum is a public health practitioner, policymaker and an advocate for safe, inclusive spaces in sport and society. Both authors share a firm belief that no athlete should have to sacrifice safety for success, and that a nation’s true sporting greatness is measured not only in medals, but in how it protects its people.